The Big Four were the wealthy Alberta cattlemen Patrick Burns, George Lane, A. E. Cross and Archibald J. McLean. Together they founded the

Calgary Stampede The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, fair, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year a ...

, as well as other cultural and entrepreneurial activities in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

in the early years of the 20th century. George Lane and A.J. McLean were ranchers, Pat Burns owned a meat packing business and A.E. Cross was a brewery owner. All four men were involved in

's cattle industry.

Calgary Stampede

In the summer of 1912, the Big Four were approached by cowboy

Guy Weadick George Guy Weadick (February 23, 1885 – December 13, 1953) was an American cowboy, performer and promoter. He and his horse Cyclone quickly became well known in the Calgary area. Today, he is best known as the founder of the Calgary Stampede in ...

with the proposal for a wild west show that would ''"make

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), better known as Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. One of the most famous figures of the American Old West, Cody started his legend at the young age ...

's Wild West Extravaganza look like a sideshow."'' They each put up $25,000 to finance the first

held in September 1912. The event has grown since to more than $1.8 million in prize money, and attracts more than one million visitors yearly. The ''Big Four Building'' at the Stampede Grounds in

was named for the four businessmen, and once held the largest

curling Curling is a sport in which players slide #Curling stone, stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area that is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take t ...

rink in the world.

Political careers

*A.E. Cross was elected in 1898 as a Conservative member of the

Legislative Assembly of Alberta The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the deliberative assembly of the province of Alberta, Canada. It sits in the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. Since 2012 the Legislative Assembly has had 87 members, elected first past the post f ...

("MLA") for the riding of Calgary East. *Archie McLean was first elected as a Liberal MLA for the

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 Alberta municipal censuses, 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...

constituency in 1909. He served as minister of municipal affairs, and as minister of public works. *George Lane was elected to be a member in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1913 for the Bow Valley riding on behalf of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

. He held the position for less than a year; resigning his seat so that defeated party leader Charles R. Mitchell could re-gain a place in the legislature. *Patrick Burns was appointed to the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada () is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons, they compose the Bicameralism, bicameral le ...

in 1931 by his close friend R. B. Bennett, then

Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada () is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons ...

. Burns sat in the senate as an independent until 1936.

Legacy

*A.E. Cross Junior High School was named for A.E. Cross. A.E. Cross, together with Pat Burns and George Lane, as well as other prominent local figures, also funded the creation of

Western Canada High School Western Canada High School is a public high school in Calgary, Alberta that has operated since 1929. The high school was antedated by Western Canada College, a boys' preparatory school in the style of a British public school that opened in 1903. ...

. *Senator Patrick Burns Junior High School was named for Pat Burns *Mount Burns, a peak in

Kananaskis Country Kananaskis Country (abbreviated: K-Country) is a multi-use area west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada in the Rocky Mountain Foothills, foothills and front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. Its western edge borders Banff National Park and the Alberta-Br ...

. * Burns Building *Senator Patrick Burns Building, at

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) is a Institute of technology, polytechnic institute in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. SAIT offers more than 110 career programs in technology, trades and business. Established in 1916, it is Calgar ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Four (Calgary) History of Alberta Businesspeople from Alberta Quartets Rodeo promoters and managers Rodeo in Canada Canadian cattlemen

Calgary Stampede

Political careers

Legacy

See also

References